29 April 2017

The identity of the 12-year-old boy, whose killing sparked violence in Coligny near Lichtenburg last week, remains a mystery. Despite efforts by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to trace the boy's relatives, no next of kin has come forward to claim the boy's remains.

27 April 2017

Locals clean up after overnight looting, when protesters took to the streets to demonstrate the death of a boy in Coligny, North West province, yesterday.
COLIGNY — After more than 70 years of conducting business in Coligny in the North West, a business owner says he is closing his shop after it suffered nearly half a million rands in damage during violent protests this week. “We are heartbroken because it is not only our shop, it is the whole town that’s been destroyed,” Buddy Shalala, who owns a furniture shop, told News24 yesterday. He said his family has been operating the business in the area since 1928.
“At the moment it’s very difficult to ascertain the damage but it must be close to half a million.”

MEDIA STATEMENT:

Tuesday, 25 April 2017

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission is aware of an electronic communication currently being circulated that warns members of the public that, from today onwards, all calls will be monitored and all communications on WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook and other forms of social media are being monitored by the police. It warns the members of the public not to forward any posts or videos they receive regarding politics and the present situation about the government. It suggests that there is a new communications law referred to as “Cyber Crime” allegedly being applied by the police to monitor to record phone communications, including on social media, and other electronic communications.  

24th April 2017

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The 25th of April 2017 marks the 2nd anniversary of Africa Pretrial Detention Day, commemorated annually to raise awareness of the plight of thousands of people who are held in detention in police cells and prisons across Africa for prolonged periods without trial. The 25th April was chosen to coincide with the adoption by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights of new Guidelines on Arrest, Police Custody and Pretrial Detention ('the Luanda Guidelines'). The new Guidelines provide a blueprint for States to strengthen national systems and practices in relation to arrest, police custody and pretrial detention. The Luanda Guidelines reinforce the importance of a criminal justice system built on core human rights principles.

21 April 2017

A common theme emerged at a panel discussion on policing and rights on Friday – police officers regularly violate the human rights of marginalised minorities such as sex workers and members of the lesbian‚ gay‚ bi-sexual‚ transgender‚ questioning and intersex (LGBTQI) community.

21 April 2017

The discussions formed part of a two-day meeting held by the SA Human Rights Commission in Johannesburg to try and find ways to address problems in the SAPS.

JOHANNESBURG - The ill-treatment of migrants, refugees and sex workers has come under the microscope at a dialogue on the state of policing in South Africa, with calls for men and women in blue to treat all people with dignity.